Photographs - Collections - 851-900 - #00900

Title: Zahn Family

Dates: ca. 1870-1970s

Collection Number: 00900

Quantity: 75 items

Abstract: Consists of images of William Presley Zahn, his wife Kezewin (Josephine Mary), and children, including Judge Frank B. Zahn and Clara Zahn Ramey. Collection also includes copies of portraits of Native American chiefs and individuals, celebrations, historic images and images from the Standing Rock Reservation, Fort Yates (N.D.).

Provenance: The initial donation (photographs 00900-00001-00046) were donated by Jean Tyree Hamilton. Most of the photographs are copies, which are for reference use only. Copies and originals are identified in the inventory below. Diane Partington Thomas, great-granddaughter of William P. Zahn, donated photographs 00047-00072 in January 2015, which were digitized by SHSND staff, and returned to Thomas. Photo collection 00535 was added to the collection in December 2015.

Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.

Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.

Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.

William Presley Zahn was born on October 25, 1849 to William Zahn and Winyan Waste (sister of Chief John Grass). William married Princess Kezewin (Josephine Mary) Cloud, daughter of Chief Flying Cloud and relative of Sitting Bull. They had three sons and six daughters. William was an interpreter and soldier at Standing Rock Agency, and was one of the 26 soldiers who first helped establish Fort Yates in 1873. In 1874 he was with Custer's Company G., 17th U.S. Infantry on the expedition to the Black Hills to find gold. In 1893 he was with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in Chicago as interpreter at the display of Sitting Bull's cabin. He was also a trader with a post on Standing Rock Reservation. William P. Zahn died on September 8, 1936.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, FRANK ZAHN

Francis “Frank” Benjamin Zahn, later known as Chief Flying Cloud, was born May 4, 1890 at Standing Rock Reservation and was educated there. He graduated from the Riggs Institute in Flandreau (S.D.) in 1912 and from the Carlisle Indian College in Pennsylvania in 1915 with a major in law. He served in World War I as a member of Company 6 of the 351st Infantry, 88th Division. Upon his discharge in 1919 he attended Aakers Business College in Fargo for two years. He then accepted a position as official interpreter at Standing Rock Reservation, which was followed by his appointment as Chief Judge of the Court of Indian Offenses, Bureau of Indian Affairs, of both North and South Dakota. He retained that position until his retirement in 1960. Zahn was a free-lance writer, wrote a column for the Fort Yates Newspaper and collaborated with Stanley Vestal and Walter Hairghurst in writing books. He was an Indian delegate to Washington, D.C. on several occasions, a concert violinist, artist, and acted in three Hollywood movies, including "They Died With Their Boots On." Zahn was a member and former commander of several American Legion posts, the State Historical Society , former member of the Sioux County Advisory Board, member of the Bismarck Executive Club and the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Music Association. On May 5, 1947, Zahn married Gladys Fisher in Sioux Falls (S.D.). They had four children: Frank Jr., Louis, Winona Moltz, and Maria L. Hayes. Frank Zahn died July 3, 1966.